Money Education Resources
There are many ways that you can learn to better manage your money. We've gathered together some great resources that you can use to learn more and gain confidence when it comes to your personal finances.
Year-Round
MAS Financial Capability has a great e-Learning module that you can sign up for. Create an account and browse the range of topics available, including money management and dealing with different financial life events. Go check out their website for more information: Financial Capability e-Learning
The Open University provide a range of free OpenLearn modules:
Martin Lewis' Academoney, where students and staff can achieve a digital badge. Topics include Budgeting, investment, Taxation, Borrowing, Mortgages, and much more!
Dealing with Financial Uncertainty. This is an advanced module, which focuses on how to make financial decisions and simplify decisions. It introduces decision trees, and ways to calculate the probability of a situation arising so you can plan for the unexpected.
You and Your Money is an introduction to personal finances and is the starting point if you want a short introduction to how you can make small changes to improve your own finances.
Dealing with debt
Step Change is a UK debt charity and they provide help and support to understand the options to get your debt under control. Breathing space is about explaining to those you owe money to that you need time and space to make a plan. It is often accompanied by a freeze of charges and interest.
The Step Change website can offer you more information:
The Money Saving Expert website has information on your rights and the help available to you during Covid-19.
Completing an income and expenditure
The first step in understanding the full extent of your financial situation is to complete an income and expenditure. There are many resources out there and spreadsheets you can complete and the Step Change website gives some ideas of the things to include so you/ and creditors get a full picture of your finances.
Getting Help
Sometimes it is necessary to get support from an expert to understand the options available to you and there are a number of different places you can seek further help.
The money advisors are always happy to support both students and staff with basic money related queries, best buys, budgeting support, places to find further information. We can be reached at moneyadvice@st-andrews.ac.uk
Further specialist or debt-related support can be sought from:
https://www.nationaldebtline.org/
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
https://scotland.shelter.org.uk/
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/debt-help-plan/ - Also a great resource for the best energy, broadband, mobile phone, internet, and savings accounts.